Tag: special guest
Talking Peanut Butter with Business Students
Jill Van Gyn, a former SMUS student and entrepreneur, spoke to our Business Education 10 class
Lieutenant Governor of B.C. Visits the SMUS Junior School
The Lieutenant Governor of B.C. visited our Junior School and took
Teacher Dorothy Hawes’ Children’s Book Comes Full Circle at SMUS
If it hadn't been for a couple "serendipitous" moments courtesy of St. Michaels University School, English teacher Dorothy Hawes likely wouldn't be celebrating the launch of her children's...
Lynn Lyons on Building Emotionally Healthy Kids
Licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist Lynn Lyons returned (by popular demand!) to SMUS during Brain Awareness Week this week to talk about building...
Interview with Garth Martens
Garth Martens is a Kelowna poet whose debut collection Prologue for the Age of Consequence, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award of English-language...
Taylor Rankin ’99 Inspires Students to Play Outside of the Box
SMUS alumnus Taylor Rankin and his violin Leroy returned to SMUS this week to work with our Senior School strings students on improvisation and...
THE JAG: An Interview with Dr. Sarah De Leeuw
A Professor and Journalist visits SMUS
by Jiawen Chan & Jacki Zhang
What is your writing process and editing process like? Do you have any quirks...
THE JAG: The Harsh Realities of War
On Thursday, November 26, Canadian veteran soldier Rafiele Gardezy, brother of senior student Desirée MacIntosh, came to campus to speak to students in AP...
Business Students Learn From TeaPops Success Story
Business 10 students recently had the chance to get advice from the entrepreneur behind DeeBee’s SpecialTea Foods. Dr. Dionne Laslo-Baker and her TeaPops, tea-based...
The Boundless Talent of Kenneth Oppel ’85
Alumni Weekend may end on Sunday, but one fairly famous alumnus will be on campus next week. Author Kenneth Oppel '85 will be speaking...
A New Extreme at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Internationally-recognized artist Chin Yuen has been working with SMUS students as part of the New Extreme program run through the Art Gallery of Greater...
A Visit from an Olympian
As the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games continue, the Junior School hosted an Olympian from the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. Jon Beare, a...
Life lessons from a career in media
I had the good fortune to listen in on the Career Day session offered by SMUS alum, Susie Wall, last Wednesday. Officially, she was...
The Reality of Life Online
We hosted Jesse Miller of Mediated Reality this week, and he spoke to students, parents and staff about the illusion many people have of...
YALP: Local Activists Inspire Grade 8 Students
by Aysha and Taylor, Grade 8
Aysha: Inspiration
When I was younger, I would see people on the streets who looked ragged and scruffy. I never...
YALP: Keynote Speakers Provide Fresh Perspective
by Zachary Kahn, Grade 12
Seeing as I had never been extremely involved with local poverty and never having attended a conference like this, I...
Authors Inspire Readers to Write
The Middle School has hosted two authors in the past fortnight: Eric Wilson and Kit Pearson. Both writers spoke to students about what makes...
Shane Koyczan
There are not many weeks when you find your blog entry writes itself.
Born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, growing up in Penticton, Shane Koyczan appeared...
Mathematics: The Key to the Universe
Professor Mike Miniou from the University of Waterloo recently spoke to Middle and Senior School students about the applicability of math in future careers....
Building A Better Brain
SMUS held its first annual Brain Awareness Week from April 5-12 in order to educate our entire community about not only how our brains...
Diplomat Tony Quainton ’46 Talks Politics
by Athena Kerins, Grade 10
When I first learned about Mr. Quainton’s impressive career in diplomacy, I expected his speech to be very cagey. I...
Special Guests Combine Geography and Art
by Anna Forbes, Head of Art
We had some distinguished guests in this week talking to the art and the geography students in Copleand. Dr....
Popular Merlin Author Inspires Students of All Ages
Last week, SMUS was honoured to host T.A. Barron, a multiple award-winning author whose Merlin series is being adapted into film by Warner Bros....
Parents and Students Get a Chance to Act
by Jennifer Fraser, English teacher
Next week, Scholar in Residence Kayte Summers, actor and drama therapist, will conduct two interactive workshops next week: an afternoon...
Mathematics Adds Up to More Than Numbers
Professor Mike Eden from the University of Waterloo spoke to Middle and Senior School students last week, giving them problem-solving tips and talking about...
Parents and Students Learn About The Admissions Game
by Christine Wenzel, parent
This week, our University Counseling Department hosted Peter Van Buskirk, a dynamic motivational speaker and founder of The Admission Game. His...
Dr. Lotus Vermeer ’86 Speaks to Junior and Senior Students
Last week, Dr. Lotus Vermeer '86 visited the Junior and Senior Schools to speak to students about her work in conservation and species recovery....
Students Get a Lesson in Slam Poetry
by Julia Milden, Grade 11
An outlet to express views on life, relationships and experiences outside of academia or controlled forms of structured poetry, spoken...
Scholar in Residence Kenneth Oppel ’85
Alumnus and Governor General Award-winning author Kenneth Oppel '85 returned to SMUS this week to speak to students at all three schools about his...
Junior School Students Meet Author
by Diana Nason, librarian
We were fortunate to have Robin Muller visit the Junior School on Monday, May 9th on his way home to Toronto...
The Tragedy of the Commons
Garrett Hardin first wrote about the tragedy of the commons in the journal Science in 1968. In this seminal work, Hardin described the dilemma...
SMUS Teachers Enjoy Professional Development
This Tuesday, SMUS hosted Dr. John Medina, the New York Times bestselling author of Brain Rules, to talk about his findings into how children...
Brendan McLeod Performs New Monologue
Frequent SMUS guest Brendan McLeod — author, poet, musician — stopped by to share his brand new monologue with our students. The member of...
Artist Rande Cook Visits SMUS Middle School
by Mckenna Haz, Grade 7
Recently, my class had the opportunity to meet a special local artist, Rande Cook, known for his First Nations art...
Art Students Learn Chinese Techniques
Art 10, 11 and 12 students all had a workshop with guest instructor Andy Lou, who taught them the unique tricks and techniques for...
Oil Artist Visits Through New Extremes
A few lucky art students are spending eight weeks with artist Tara Nicholson, who will be teaching them how to work with oil paints....
Tim Williams ’83 Returns to SMUS
by Brandon Chow, Grade 12
Last Friday afternoon culminated in a dramatic finale for many participants in the music programme at the Senior School, with...
Grade 8 Class Learns Math Through Dance
by Mackenzie Valentine, Grade 8
Watching Michael Boston (the tap-dancer) I was amazed! His feet were moving so fast it was making my head spin....
Students Read Work With Renowned Poet
by Ali West, Grade 12
“If it’s words you’re after, I’m your man.” - Gerard Bierne
This sentence opens one of the widely-recognized poet Gerard Bierne’s...
Middle School Cellists Play with a Special Guest
by Athena and Keeley, Grade 8
On October 17th, Desmond Hoebig, a professional cellist, came to the Junior School with us. He played the Schumann...
The Fugitives Captivate SMUS
by Erin Anderson, editor
Last Friday, one the SMUS’ favourite musical guests returned to perform for students. Modern folk band The Fugitives brought their mix...
Four Poets Read at SMUS
by Sydney Snape, Grade 12 student
Victoria is a fabulous place where writers and artists alike can gather and share their deepest secrets and most...
Free the Children Co-founder Speaks at SMUS
by Madison Hadfield, Grade 11
Marc Kielburger and his brother Craig founded Free The Children in 1995 when Craig gathered 11 school friends to begin...
SMUS Keeps Up the Beat
by Oliver Brooks, Grade 12 student
On Friday May 28th, SMUS had its 9th annual Keep the Beat music marathon and fundraiser for the non-profit...
Elizabeth May Talks Politics with the Grade 5 Classes
by Elise, Hanna and Mattia
The Grade 5 students of the Junior School were lucky enough to have the leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth...
Peter Johnston Speaks to the Omar Khadr Group
by Grade 9 student Julia Milden, Grade 11 student Olivia Krusel, and Grade 12 student Kaeleigh Fletcher
Last Friday, April 16th, was an incredible and...
Junior School Illustrates the Virtues
by Kathleen Cook, Chair of the Leadership Committee
This week, the students of the Junior School prepared for a very special visit by Linda Kavelin...
Chris Darimont '92 Talks Animal Evolution
by Erin Anderson, editor
Chris Darimont '92, an alumnus of SMUS and an award-winning conservation biologist, returned to SMUS to talk about his latest research...
Former Refugee Speaks to Students
by Gita Keshava, Grade 11
As students in a wonderful, peaceful country and an outstanding school environment, it is often hard to imagine ourselves in...
2ne Ups Find Their Beat
by Mina Phaisaltantiwongs, Grade 12
St. Michaels University School has quite a wide selection when it comes to extracurricular activities. It has everything from...
The Borealis String Quartet at SMUS
by Jonathan Sudul, Grade 5
On January 25, Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 string students heard a recital by the Borealis String Quartet. There...
Sara Topham Keeps Shakespeare Alive
by Olivia Krusel, Grade 11
Imagine that it is a dreary Wednesday afternoon; halfway through the week and the weekend is only just peering from...
Grade 6 Classes Join the Six String Nation
by Sam Perelmuter, Grade 6
Yesterday, we had an exciting visit from Mr. Jowi Taylor. He has this guitar (which has been named the Voyageur)...
Poetry Night Turns Into Tribute
by Erin Anderson, editor
Last night, the on-campus café The Daily Grind was packed with poets and poetry fans, as SMUS hosted yet another evening...
The Yale Alley Cats Kick Off 2010
by Erin Anderson, editor
Just as the school year got rolling again, Josh Evans ’08 returned to his old school to perform with the a...
The Day of the Snakes
by Brennan, Grade 6
In my Grade 6 science class, there were two ladies from Swan Lake. They told us about how a snake eats...
Nikki Chooi In Concert at SMUS
by Sydney, Grade 8 strings student
This past Tuesday my friends and I had the pleasure of hearing an amazing performance by Nikki Chooi and...
Brendan McLeod Mixes Music and Poetry
Mr. Young's classroom was packed this Thursday afternoon, with students crowding in to see Brendan McLeod, a member of the Fugitives troupe that often...
War Child Musician Ends his Tour at SMUS
Last Friday, SMUS students and staff saw Liam Titcomb give his last performance of his three-month national tour. Liam, who has released two full-lengths...
Teachers Take Lessons
Before students returned to campus this week, their teachers took some time to learn themselves, devoting a day to professional development. Global responsibility was...
Music and Math Come Together
Before Spring Break, SMUS welcomed mathematics historian Glen Van Brummelen, who spoke to students about the interplay of music and mathematics. As part of...
SMUS Rugby Scores a Special Guest
by Johnny Humpries
SMUS Senior Rugby was fortunate to have another national coach pay a visit to the school last Thursday. Following last year’s...
Visiting Artist Colours SMUS
AP Studio Art and Grade 10 Art students had the opportunity to work with acclaimed pastel artist Nancy Slaght this week, as the former...
Malawian Visitor Shares a Story of a School
This week, Memory Mdyetseni, Director of APU Secondary School for Girls in Malawi, spoke to students about the challenges girls face in pursuing education...
Middle School Students Get Justice
This week, Grade 7 and 8 students learned about the Canadian legal system as well as the consequences of online behaviour through an interactive...
Baba Brinkman Mixes Hip Hop with Literature
English literature and creative writing students were thrilled by a visit from performance artist Baba Brinkman, who just finished touring his combination of rap...
Students Warm Up to Arctic Stories
Middle School students welcomed explorer Ian Sterling last week. Mr. Sterling, who visited the school because of our involvement with the Canadian Geographic Society,...
Imaginative Author Casts a Spell on Junior School
Visiting author Margriet Ruurs delighted Junior School students this week, teaching them all about how books are made and reading from a few of...
Award Winning Authors Visit Junior School
Last Thursday, the Junior School was proud to host two award-winning authors, Pamela Porter and Polly Hovarth. Polly Hovarth has won numerous awards including...
The Fugitives Escape to SMUS
Budding writers of poetry and song were treated to a workshop with performance group The Fugitives this week. Four talented performers led the students...
First Scholar in Residence Visits SMUS
Last week, the school was visited by entrepreneur and former Olympian Jason Dorland, the first speaker selected by the Academic Council for the Scholar...
Students Get Wise About Owls
by Kennedy, Grade 4
This week, both of the Grade 4 classes at the Junior School had a special visitor from the Swan Lake Christmas...
Ron Broda Draws Children into the Art of Illustration
Junior School students received a hands-on lesson in drawing and illustrating from one of the top five illustrators in Canada this week. Ron Broda,...
Grade 11 Students Get a Look inside Politics
Grade 11 students, who have a major unit on the Canadian political system, recently gained valuable insight into the world of politics when teacher...